Volcanoes of Canary islands
The Canary Islands emerged from the sea due to powerful volcanic activity, This is why you can find Lava Stones all around Canary islands, and in our Studio :)
Blessed by a uniquely benign climate and a privileged location their volcanic origins are still evident twenty million years later. Lava and ash fields meeting the sea.
All this volcanic territory makes the Canary Islands a perfect place to enjoy some unique experiences.
Timanfaya, Lanzarote
Three hundred years ago, a large chunk of the landscape in north-west Lanzarote did not exist. After a series of eruptions that lasted six years, Fire Mountain – otherwise known as Timanfaya National Park – was born, an alien world of contorted lava, multi-coloured cinder cones and mysterious craters. An off-road bus takes visitors on a guided tour.
Mount Teide, Tenerife
At 12,198ft, Mount Teide is the highest point in all Spanish territories – and measured from the ocean floor, one of the largest volcanoes in the world. It is impressive when viewed from nearby, but it’s worth taking the cable car almost to the top for stupendous views. Teide – which is still classed as active – and its surroundings are a Unesco-listed national park.
Bandama Caldera, Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria’s ‘hero’ landscape feature is a giant bowl – a collapsed volcano – more than 3,000ft across and 600ft deep. From the viewing platform at the highest point, you may spot the remains of a farmhouse and ancient vineyards in its bottom. On the drive up to the rim, ravines formed during the same geological period can be viewed.
Taburiente, La Palma
Often dubbed the ‘steepest island in the world’, La Palma is dominated by the enormous Caldera de Taburiente, the rim of which reaches almost 8,000ft above the surrounding ocean. Inside the mighty walls is a tangle of rocks, foliage and birdlife. The five-mile wide monolith was, unusually, formed by erosion rather than a titanic eruption.
Roque de Agando, La Gomera
Sticking out like a giant’s thumb, Agando is the emblem of La Gomera. Almost 600ft high, the basalt rock is a volcanic plug – what is left after the rest of a volcano has eroded away, a process that in this case took about 20 million years. It is the most impressive of a number of similar formations on the island. Mount Teide on neighbouring Tenerife can often be seen from this point.
La Restinga, El Hierro
In 2012, an underwater eruption occurred just off the fishing village of La Restinga on the smallest of the Canary Islands, El Hierro. It sparked a series of small earthquakes, and seismic activity continues on a regular basis today, sometimes spitting out floating rocks. A museum describes the activity, while a bizarre volcanic rock formation rises from the sea just up the coast.
Cumbre Nueva, La Palma
Down the spine of La Palma, south of its monster caldera, the area known as Cumbre Nueva – new summit – is a geologist’s dream. Smaller volcanoes and solidified lava flows share space with tall Canary pine trees. Near the town of Fuencaliente, the San Antonio volcano is a distinctive cone with rock in shades of red and purple and far-reaching views from its rim.